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Proper Grammar and Spelling

edited September 2006 in Forum Stuff
Since there appear to be many new faces here, I'd like to remind you all that sloppy posts will not be tolerated. Occasional typos and gaffes are understandable, but repeated or gross errors will be dealt with harshly. Most of you are doing well, but I note several individuals who seem to have great difficulty typing properly.

This is hereby fair warning that, should you continue to fail at the English language, I will begin naming names and bringing ridicule. It is my hope that the problem will self-correct.

If it does not, then the pogroms will begin.
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Comments

  • To save Mr. Period the trouble.

    Hi, I'm Scott Johnson and I'm a poor Grammarist and speller. Mainly because I either forget there is a spell check or I shot off a response without rereading what I wrote.

    :-p
  • edited September 2006
    Well, I do have a problem with being careless, most of the time with my grammar. (*cough cough* War craft argument.)
    Post edited by La Petit Mort on
  • I have a problem, poor vision and a tiny laptop keyboard.

    That's my story and I'm sticking to it!
  • I have a temporary problem of a sore finger (related to the shutting of it in a car door) when that is better (and before it was bad) all gramattical and spelling problems were my own.
  • edited September 2006
    I type upside down because I'm a vampire, and only have 2 intact fingers so gimme a break!

    Seriously though, I understand the need for posts to be grammatically correct for legibility.

    However, threatening ridicule and this constant bitching about people's grammar, I don't think anyone cares that much, so why don't you get a life or go to your local library and check each book for typos (the editors will be pleased to hear from you).
    Post edited by Rym on
  • He's not bitching. He's doing the job we've asked him to, and we support his decisions fully. If not for Mr. Period, I would most likely be simply deleting posts with grievously poor grammar and/or spelling, as I wouldn't have the time to edit them myself.

    It's not difficult to write properly. People who fail to do so either cannot, which displays a lack of intelligence, or will not, which displays a lack of care/effort/willingness to present well. I don't care if people occasionally make typos, or end sentences in prepositions, or use emoticons, or type in 1337.

    I do care, however, if someone repeatedly makes obvious errors (its/it's, their/there, than/then, etc...) that could easily be avoided by even the smallest amount of care. They obviously haven't put much thought into their post in the first place, or else they've utterly failed to learn the English language. Neither is acceptable.

    These forums will not descend into the chaos that most online forums become.
  • I occasionally give the guy shit, but its only because I get a kick out of subverting authority figures. I appreciate the work he does, and it has contributed to elevating this forum above the sad Internet norm. Thanks, Mr. Period.

    Also, whenever I see a post or correction by Mr. Period, I can't help but think of Col. Jessep from A Few Good Men, and his speech at the end of the film. A grotesque and incomprehensible existence, standing a post, all that. We can't handle the truth (that we suck at writing).

  • These forums will not descend into the chaos that most online forums become.
    Mr. Period is the dam that keeps back the floodwaters of stupid.
  • Mr. Period? I thought only women got periods???
  • Mr. Period doesn't bitch that much. We get a post from him once every 4 months or so.
  • I welcome our grammar overlord.
  • edited September 2006
    He is doing us a favour. Whenever I see a post in the colour red, I know that he has been at work! He is at the centre of what makes this board great. I will always come to his defence. I'd even submit money by cheque to keep him employed! It gives me a grin, even sitting here on my Chesterfield. I don't see why everyone is in a kerfuffle. Just go to the tap and take a nice drink of water, or maybe just get some pop from the cooler. When it comes to Mr. Period, I am totally on side.

    ...
    Post edited by Kilarney on
  • I love Mr. Period!
  • I'm one of the few remaining members that has yet to be attacked by Mr. Period.
  • I'm one of the few remaining members that has yet to be attacked by Mr. Period.
    That's because you're.... TROGDOR!!!! BURNINATOR OF PEASANTS AND HIGHLY FLAMMABLE HUTS!
  • edited September 2006
    I'm one of the few remaining members that has yet to be attacked by Mr. Period.

    Same here! :D
    Post edited by MrPeriod on
  • MasterOfTheUniverse, remember to check the HTML radio button when you use quotes.
  • edited September 2006
    I'm one of the few remaining members that has yet to be attacked by Mr. Period.
    It's almost like you're calling him out.
    Post edited by Apreche on
  • Son of a bitch!
  • Yeah, that was pretty ironic.
  • edited September 2006
    I've actually wondered about something for a long time: did a lot of people simply never learn how to use proper grammar in grade school? I myself attended a Catholic grade school, and the concepts of proper grammar and spelling were drilled into my head. Maybe it's simply not emphasized as much in school these days.
    Post edited by TheWhaleShark on
  • I've actually wondered about something for a long time: did a lot of people simply never learn how to use proper grammar in grade school? I myself attended a Catholic grade school, and the concepts of proper grammar and spelling were drilled into my head. Maybe it's simply not emphasized as much in school these days.
    You have to keep in mind that our problem seems to exist mostly on the Internet. Instant messaging started attracting the non-geek types into computers, and being the asshats they are they decided not to learn to type but to simply shorten everything by ignoring capitalization, spelling, punctuation, and anything else that may slow them down. To answer your question, most people did learn how to use proper grammar in school, they just decide not to.
  • Yeah, a lot of bad grammar on the Internet has to do with lack of typing skills. If you can't type properly and quickly it is much easier to type "cul8r" than it is to type "see you later". What we need to teach people is how to type properly.
  • Just so you know Geeks in general have some of the worst spelling and grammar of them all ^_^
  • Just so you know geeks in general have some of the worst spelling and grammar of them all ^_^
    No, that's just you. :-P
  • edited September 2006
    The temptation to intentionally type in the most incorrect and heinous fashion I can think of is great.
    Post edited by Apreche on
  • No, Actually RIT had this problem where they noticed that all the tech wiz's they were graduating couldn't write crap. This is why there are tons more writing requirements at RIT now.
  • Do tell! When were these new writing requirements implemented? I had to take two writing and lit classes and they were so rudimentary.
  • I've actually wondered about something for a long time: did a lot of people simply never learn how to use proper grammar in grade school? I myself attended a Catholic grade school, and the concepts of proper grammar and spelling were drilled into my head. Maybe it's simply not emphasized as much in school these days.
    I that that may be a large part of the problem. A lack of grammar doesn't exist only within the online realm, people in real life have no idea how to write a simple letter either. I used to work in the office of a local bookstore and it became unofficial policy that I either wrote or proofread every piece of correspondence going out the door with our name on it just because no one else could see anything wrong with horribly written memos.
    I don't know about my colleague's schooling, but I know that in my school correct writing wasn't emphasized very much. There was this sort of hippy policy that as long as a student was expressing themselves then that was good. Even if they had no idea how to use a comma the important thing was that they learned to like writing. I don't know if the assumption was that they'd learn the actual rules later but to this day I still don't know what a participle is. The only reason I can write with any sort of legibility is because of my Stepmom, a former english major who wouldn't abide poor writing.

    PS-Thanks Mom.
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